Practical Guide for Laundry Shops: Step-by-Step Treatment and Efficiency Solutions for Water-Soluble and Lipophilic Pigment Stains

When facing the clothes sent by customers with ink or cosmetics, how to effectively treat fabrics without damage is the key to measuring the professionalism of a laundry shop. The following is a standardized treatment process and efficiency improvement ideas for water-based pigment stains (various inks) and lipophilic pigment stains (ballpoint pen ink, lipstick...). The aim is to improve the one-time cleaning rate and control the cost of rewash.

Core Treatment Principle

The first step is always identifying the stain types by gently dabbing the edge of the stain with a white cotton cloth:

- If primarily water-soluble spreading occurs, it is most likely a water-soluble pigment stain.

- If oily dissolved marks appear on the cloth, it is generally a lipophilic pigment stain.

Standard Process for Water-Soluble Pigment Stains

The golden rule is first, absorbing to prevent spreading, and then treating different colors with targeted methods.

● The universal pre-treatment is the absorption method:

- place a clean towel or absorbent pad under the stain

- use another slightly damp white cloth to gently blot from the outer edge toward the center to absorb loose color

- avoid rinsing with water or rub from enlarging the stained area

Standard Process for Lipophilic Pigment Stains

Core logic is removing oil first and then lifting color.

● Two-step treatment

- Dissolve the oil carrier

Select a solvent according to the table below and gently wipe from outside in with a cotton swab.

- Remove residual color

After oil removal, treat the remaining pigment with the water-soluble stain method.

● Important safety operating rules

- Ventilation should be good during treatment. Operators must wear gloves.

- All solvents must first be tested on an inconspicuous area of clothes.

- All other steps should be after the solvent fully dissolves the stain and is absorbed by the underlying towel (until the towel no longer picks up color).

Professional Laundry Equipment

Careful pre-treatment is only half the success. The stability and gentleness of the main wash directly determine whether stain removal results are fully preserved, and affect the long-term service life of linens and clothes.

● Controlled variables for consistent results

After pre-treatment, fibers in the stained area become sensitive. Excessive fluctuations in temperature or mechanical force during the main wash may cause residual pigment to re-fix or damage fibers.

Equipment such as Kingstar washing machines, with precise temperature control and programmable washing cycles, provides a stable environment for stain removal agents. This consolidates pre-treatment effects under controlled conditions and avoids rework.

● Gentle washing for fabric protection

Intensive stain removal may temporarily weaken fibers. Strong mechanical pulling or excessive heat during subsequent spin and drying cycles can further stress fabrics.

Equipment with high-level load balancing, low-temperature drying, and humidity monitoring reduces physical damage, preserves fabric hand feel and strength as much as possible. It is important for high-end hotel linens and customer clothes.

● Operational recommendation

Combining professional stain removal procedures with reliable laundry equipment to build a standardized system of detailed pre-treatment + stable main wash is key for laundries to increase customer trust, establish technical advantages, and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

Q&A

Q1: What is the fastest and safest way to treat ballpoint pen and lipstick stains from customers?

A1: These are lipophilic pigment stains, so the key is to dissolve oil first.

Use alcohol for ballpoint ink, and apply dish soap concentrate or a special degreaser directly to lipstick stains, with an absorbent pad behind the fabric.

Important: Do not let customers or front desk staff rub the stains themselves. All treatment must be done in the pre-treatment area to avoid spreading and setting, which increases difficulty.

Q2: Regular washing fails on Chinese ink or carbon ink stains. What is the key to professional treatment?

A2: The key is decomposition and absorption. Regular washing cannot remove carbon black and resin.

The standard process is:

- Dissolve the color-fixing resin with butyl acetate;

- Use cooled cooked starch paste or cooked rice to lift carbon black particles deep within fibers.

This requires careful pre-operation, followed by a gentle and stable main wash to lock in results and prevent residue.

Q3: For red ink stains, should I use bleach or sodium hydrosulfite?

A3: Never use strong oxidizers such as chlorine bleach directly because they can easily damage fabrics.

The standard method is to apply a 2% sodium hydrosulfite solution for reduction treatment after pre-treatment.

It selectively breaks down red dye, causes minimal fabric damage, and delivers thorough, safe results. It is the standard choice for professional laundries.